National Republican., 1887-06-04
Confederate Ideas.

Senator Sherman, in his speech at Spring
field, ILL.,, said the Democratic party was
controlled by confederate ideas. Senator
Sherman is not the first man who said that.
A man who has been prominently spoken OF
as the Democratic candidate for President
who has served as Democrat both in the
Senate and the House of Representatives
ex-senator Eaton, OF Connecticut, in a
speech delivered on the LIST OF May, 1884,
used the following language, which will be
found in the Congressional Record for the
forty-eighth Congress, first session. page
367l. Mr.. Eaton said;
But wish 10 read provision from another
constitution, because IL seems 10 me some Of our
friends here are acting under IL:
SEC. g. Congress shall have power to lay and
collect taxes duties, imposts, and eXcises for
Ieyt nue. necessary to pay the debts provide for
the common defense, and carry on the govern;
ment OF the confederate states. Laughter
But no bounty shall be granted from the treas
rry, nor shall any duty or tax on importation
from foreign nations be laid to promote or fos-
ter any branch of industry.
member. What is the gentleman reading
fiom?
Mr.. Eaton. From book belonging to the
library of Congress, called the Weekly Regis
ter" and have read what purports to be the
eighth section Of the constitution of the late
so called confederate states; and Il seems 10 me
same Of our friends are acting under that provision.
They seem 10 hare forgotten that this Is Wdsting-
ton, not Montgomery I speak in all kindness,
as they know.
So it appears that other men besides
Senator Sherman not only think but say,
and say where 1t will 60 upon the official
records of the country, that the Dem ocratic
party is controlled by the confederate idea,
Gratis, is that Senator Eaton proved what he
said by quoting from the confederate con-
stitution.
Every Democratic paper In the south aud
all the Democratic and Mlgwump papers
of the north are denounclng Senator Sher-
man as "wavlng the bloody shirt" In his
speech at Springfield when he talked OF the
Democrats being rule ! by confederate ideas.
What do they have to say about the Demo
cratic congressman who said the same thing
on the floor Of the House2
1t seems, therefore, that the confederate
idea rs expressed in the Montgomery con-
stitution, IN regard to the adjustment OF
customs dues, is In direct conflict with the
ideas and policy expressed In the federal
constitution-the fundamental law Of the
federal Union. Senator Sherman compll-
mented the confederates to the extent that
he gave them credit for ideas. He antagon-
lied them, however, and classified them
one as the Union idea and the other as the
confederate idea-so that the people )u'd
lot be misled, and charged the Democratic
party with endeavoring to engraft these
confederate ideas Of the confederate con-
stitution into the federal statutes. Senator
Eaton and Senator Sherman simply de-
clared their opposition to what they consid-
cred unsound ideas, properly called con-
federate ideas. For doing this the Demo
cratic press is seized with spasm of hydro
phobia toward John Sherman, and charges
him with "waving the bloody shirt" when
the gist Of his offense is that he favors pro-
lection and is opposed to free trade, and
expressed himself in an original and power
ful manner-in such way that the people
will understand 1t when they come to pass
upon the question in 1888. The idea de-
nominated the confederate idea was not the
judgment OF all the people OF the south,
but only of the Democratic part of it, who
then and now dominated the south and the
Democratic party.